Oxidation and reduction

Introduction to Oxidation and Reduction

• Oxidation and reduction reactions, collectively known as redox reactions, are crucial chemical reactions that involve a transfer of electrons.
• In an oxidation reaction, a substance loses electrons.
• In a reduction reaction, a substance gains electrons.

Redox Reactions

• A redox reaction always involves both an oxidation process and a reduction process.
• These simultaneous reactions are depicted using half-equations, showing the individual oxidation and reduction processes.

Oxidation States

• The oxidation state of an atom in a substance provides insight to the number of electrons it can lose, gain, or share.
• Positive oxidation states demonstrate a loss of electrons while negative oxidation states represent a gain of electrons.
• Free elements, including diatomic gases like O2 or N2, and other elements in their natural state, have an oxidation state of zero.

Identifying Redox Reactions

• The redox process in a chemical reaction can be identified by comparing the oxidation states of elements before and after a reaction.
• If the oxidation state increases, the substance has been oxidised. If it decreases, the substance has been reduced.

Oxidising and Reducing Agents

• An oxidising agent allows for oxidation to occur by accepting electrons, and in turn, gets reduced.
• A reducing agent triggers reduction by providing electrons and thus, gets oxidised itself.

Real-Life Applications of Redox

• Redox processes are crucial sorts of chemical reactions found in many real-world scenarios, such as:
  • Rusting of iron
  • Combustion of fuels
  • Respiration in living organisms
  • Photosynthesis in plants
  • Batteries.

Remember, the key to mastering redox reactions is to understand the transfer of electrons in these phenomena, and how they govern the characteristics and reactions of different substances.